Ohio Sheriffs Facilitate ICE Detentions Despite Legal Questions
COLUMBUS, OH – At least four Ohio sheriffs and two regional jails are leasing space to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), enabling the agency to detain individuals facing potential deportation, according to a Signal Ohio investigation. The practice, which has drawn scrutiny from the American Civil Liberties union (ACLU) of ohio, is now facing legal challenges centered on whether the agreements between ICE and the counties are valid under state law.
The arrangements allow ICE to utilize local jail facilities to house detainees,often far from family and legal resources. Concerns have been raised regarding conditions within these facilities, with ACLU attorney Elizabeth Levenson stating, “We see many many people removed from their families and their communities and being detained… We heard reports of intolerable conditions at some of these places. And we, the public, have a right to know what’s going on in ther.” This collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities has intensified under the Trump administration, sparking debate over the role of local governments in immigration enforcement.
The ACLU argues that ICE contracts with Ohio sheriff’s offices are invalid because they were not approved by county commissions – the onyl entities authorized to enter such agreements, according to a recent advisory opinion from Ohio attorney General Dave Yost. While the opinion clarified that only county commissions, not sheriff’s offices, can authorize these agreements, ICE signed all its contracts with sheriffs.
“It doesn’t make sense,” said Tremonte, an advocate for the release of Butler County ICE detainees. “The system has become so chaotic and nonsensical under Trump.”
Currently, Fayette County’s commission has not ratified its contract with ICE, while Seneca County has a contract dating back to the 1990s, and Portage County has not formalized an agreement, according to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. However, officials from the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association and Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser dispute the ACLU’s claim, maintaining the contracts remain valid even without commission ratification. A court battle is anticipated to resolve the legal dispute.
